Dish Network Asks FCC To Mediate Retrans Dispute With Media General

This is how Dish Network welcomes back the FCC following the federal shutdown? The satellite company filed a complaint today alleging that Media General has failed to engage in “good faith” negotiations to end the retransmission dispute that on October 1 resulted in its 18 network affiliated stations going dark on Dish. Among other things, the complaint says, “Media General failed to respond for 11 days to Dish’s last pre-blackout offer.” The satellite company wants commissioners to “push them back to the negotiating table and submit to mediation to get programming back to consumers.” Media General says it’s still reviewing the complaint and then “will respond appropriately.” Dish has said that it wanted to wait until Media General completed its merger with Young Broadcasting, which has a carriage agreement with the satellite company. “The only reason for Media General to reject that offer is to try to squeeze consumers for more money, to the tune of five times what Dish currently pays,” it said last month. The broadcaster countered that it wants to be “fairly compensated for our programming – what we seek amounts to pennies a day per subscriber.” The dispute affects nearly 13% of the 9M homes Media General reaches.

42 Comments

Mark • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I’m on Dish and my local NBC station has been dark for weeks because of this and it’s a real hassle, especially as it went dark just after premiere week. And all the station can advise is to drop Dish, which is not so easy when you’re in a contract and live in a rural area and your only option is DirecTV and switching would be a big hassle (including losing everything on your DVR). But I definitely blame Media General for this. It’ll probably be tied up for many more weeks if the FCC gets involved, leaving me to stream The Blacklist, Parenthood, The Michael J. Fox Show, and Parks and Recreation online. But since I have satellite Internet, being in country, they have usage limits, and so I can’t keep streaming a bunch of shows. It’s ridiculous that these blackouts keep happening and it all boils down to greed.

Cable Viewer • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

How do you blame Media General for this when they have never had a blackout with any other cable or satellite provider when Dish has had dozens of blackouts and has other blackouts currently with other companies?

James Oliver • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Dish is without a doubt the worst t.v. provider I have come in contact with.If you are into shop at home networks,Dish is what you want,but the rest of their programing sucks.

PJSolarz • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

DISH Network is fighting to keep costs down for it’s subscribers. Other networks don’t give a rats azz, they just pass the cost on to their subscribers. I for one will be glad when the day of paying for a bunch of never watched channels comes to an end. Media giants like Media General force cable and satellite companies to buy blocks of channels that very few of their subscribers want to see.

Neal • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I agree with Mark. I also blame Media General. The public is being held hostage so that a greedy company can increase their profits. Where is the FCC? Why don’t they step in on our behalf? The FCC should be defending the people in this. This is just another example of big corporation greed. Neither Dish nor Media General care a bit abouit their customers. Apparently neither dose the FCC! I plan to cancell my Dish contract and go back to cable. I beleive that Dish is in breech of it contract with it’s customers. They agreed to furnish local station and are not doing that. Mark, I believe that we can cancell without penalty.

Nic • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Ditto everything Mark said…
Below is the response I got from Dish when I inquired about the WSLS outage.

Thank you for your e-mail. We value your business and the opportunity to discuss our negotiations with Media General, the owner of your local station.

We offered short-term extension to Media General so customers would not be impacted by these negotiations. Media General refused this extension and instead is attempting to extort a rate increase of three times the previous rate DISH paid Media General. This is simply not fair. In an effort to reach an agreement, DISH offered to match the rates paid to Media General by our pay-TV competitors. Additionally DISH offered to pay Media General the same rates we pay to other affiliates in the same market. Unfortunately, Media General flatly refused both of these offers.

We have successfully reached agreements with hundreds of local stations across the country in the past year. We understand the marketplace well and remain hopeful that we will successfully reach a fair agreement with Media General.

Media General has taught me to live without NBC– after several weeks without it.
But how can they disconnect a Free channel???

patricia rayborn • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I want cbs back dont care if it is local just cbs programming

Rose • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Amen to that, its making the days longer

Dish sufferer • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Dish—–Please pipe in an NBC channel from another state!
This has taken way too long to resolve!!!

Clyde Burroughs • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

It’s time for congress to intervene. Dish should be able to broadcast another nbc affiliate.

Jackie Anctil • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Why doesn’t Dish purchase the antenna to get free Over the air digital signal for the local channels and attach using the dish cables , the customer can purchase the device one time and that would solve the blackmail the these media channels are doing. Let’s do it!!

Terri Woods • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Media general may say pennies a day, but how many pennies shy of a dollar would this be? If .25 a day that would be roughly 7.50 a Month more, and when the next contract rolls around they will do this again. It’s supposed to be a service station, and Dish is trying to keep the price down and reasonable. I’ll admit, missing NCIS, Hawaii50, etc. but there will be reruns. Wanting 3-5X the current rate is a bit much. I don’t want to pay any more than I have to.

Nick • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Media General is the one at fault here. They make their money from advertisers. The only thing Media General will accomplish by getting more money is making us pay more money. The fact that would advertise a dropdish campaign on their broadcast stations is a shame. People in rural areas do not have the option of picking these stations up over the air waves. Dropping dish is also not an option when you are locked in a contract. Congress already got involved years ago preventing companies like Dish from providing “wild feeds” of the netorks like CBS. Media General thanks for being so greedy!!

Coy E Helms Jr. • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

What we should all do is change provider

B • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I hope Media General’s stock goes down to the bottom of the abyss!
It’s called karma.
Over-Charging for free stations.
Shutting off NBC to long term dedicated viewers.
What goes around comes around.
Media General should be banned from human interaction.

Sue Marazzi • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

This whole thing is frustrating. U too am locked into a contract with Dish. While I appreciate them standing their ground, ultimately to our benefit. They aren’t paying mega media so why is my bill the same. We are the losers in all this.

Kurt Weldy • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I just contacted Dish and they gave me a $5.00 credit on my bill for 3 months due to this. Contact them. I threatened to go to DirecTV .

Sue Durham • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

You should have held out a little longer. I got $5.00 credit for six months.

Nancy Randall • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I am so fed up with this. It seems at the same time our country was being shutdown by Congress, we Dish subscribers were hearing that we might lose our local affiliate station. I feel Dish should not have to pay more than others. While I miss some really good programs, I’m earning to do without. If this goes on much longer, I will switch to Direct TV or Brighthouse; but I am glad Dish isn’t caving in. Media General should be ashamed.

Catherine Oneal • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

When I sign on with Dish many years ago,my NBC,CBS,ABC came from New York and I live in North Carolina had them a long time before our local channel,s kick in.

Jason • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

This IS Media General’s fault. They’re being bought out right? Fact, they’re asking for FOUR times the amount DISH pays other companies on average. You say Media General’s only had this one blackout. Why? Cuz they only own a handful of channels and rarely have right renegotiate a new deal. DISH has been in many yes, but I believe this is how they’ve been able to remain the cheaper of the two satellite services. Blame DISH if you like, but you’d be wrong. Media G is just trying to cash in on one big payday before the buyout

I too blame Media General. My habits have changed at this point and NBC programming isn’t missed. I wish Congress or the FCC would allow dish to pipe in another affiliate from somewhere else. I don’t care about it being local or not.

sherry • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

8 miles from my house they have CBS programing on dish from Columbia sc but the perimeters of the satellite doesn’t permit me to have CBS from dish! What a bunch of crap & bs !! It sounds like somebody has a monopoly going on! I want my CBS back! Us as dish customers should band together & file a class action law suit against dish & media general for breach of contract!

Teres Loomey • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

We want NBC Back
We do not want to pay the price we when don’t receve ever everything we suppose to
Cut the bill to show what is due!

June Peppers • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

NOT happy with Dish! New with them and not impressed. Signed up in June 2013 and already 2 contract disputes! Plus signal loss is way too frequent. When I called was told if they come check the service dish it is $65.00! Really!!!??? To check a problem with THEIR equipment! Everone should run from DISH! Wish I had bought old timey antenna!

Gina Flaherty • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

I love Dish compared to the cable company! As far as WSLS……I bought an inexpensive antenna and watch it that way…..

Sheila • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

Almost a month! This is really stupid we the dish recipient is getting the shaft all around we continue to pay for services we aren’t getting! And all you have to say is that you are working on it! Come on do you want us to go with direct tv?

Gina • on Oct 18, 2013 9:00 am

It is most definitely Media General’s fault!!! I am missing some good quality programming on NBC and I want my NBC back on my DISH line-up, however, DISH should not back down and Media General should stop trying to extort money!